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I started a new series this week and just finished the first one! It is a trilogy that deals with three lifelong friends and how they find their guys! The series is called BIG GIRL PANTIES. All three books are available now. The feel I got from just reading the first one is that each girl, who are in their early 20’s, has behavior/habits leftover from growing up that they need to recognize and deal with. Shall we say,put on their ‘big girl panties’ and grow up. I really enjoyed the first one and look forward to reading the sequels!

For Zoey Odell, the definition of family is her two best friends, Maya and Addy. So when Maya makes the decision to leave her abusive husband, Zoey is only too happy to lavish her with support and a temporary home. Unfortunately, taking in her best friend also means seeing more of that no good do-gooder, Kellen Bradley.

For Kellen, the definition of family has just been shattered. After finding out that his brother is an abusive monster, he can’t help but question himself and his parents. The one thing he knows for certain is that he’ll do anything to take care of his sister-in-law and her children. For them, he would walk into gunfire, pass through the flames of hell…even go head-to-head with Zoey Odell.

Zoey has no intention of letting him in, but Kellen is done taking her crap. Life has just gotten real and he’s more than ready to shed his nice-guy image. When he finally stands up to her, Zoey starts seeing him in a new light. As the attraction turns mutual, she finds it more and more difficult to hide behind her carefully formed walls. And Kellen is finding himself more and more driven to tear those walls down.

Review:

First off, the cover is so cute and after you read the story is absolutely perfect. I appreciated that Kellan was a nice guy. I, like most females, love the brooding/tough guy, but it was nice that an author was actually writing a book about a genuinely nice guy. And Kellan was sweet. Zoey was a really interesting character. She is in her early 20’s, pretty responsible, but clearly dealing with abandonment issues from her childhood. The great thing about this book was that you see her grow through her relationship with Kellan to realize some of these problems and that she needs to deal with them. Kellan puts up with A LOT from her. There are time I wanted to smack her because she was being so rude to her friends and Kellan, mainly when her mother visits. She doesn’t recognize how irrational she acts when her mother is in the picture and it was a little painful to read.

The chemistry between the characters was good and well written. There probably could have been only one of a certain type of scenes. The rest seemed unnecessary for this particular story. The story seemed more about Zoey’s personal growth while falling in love.

This author integrated the other characters very well. I feel every character introduced was used well and fully. It’s clear who the other books will deal with, but I loved that. It just makes me want to read the rest of the series all the more.

Out Now is MONTANA WILD by Roni Hall…Born and Bred in NYC, Fate Leads Jamie to the Wilds of Montana Where the Reluctant City Girl Comes Alive. Empowered, She Risks It All To Save A Life, Befriend A Wild Stallion and Fall In Love…Only To Have It All Taken Away By Past Demons…Check Out MONTANA WILD by Roni Hall!

About MONTANA WILD

Spiraling downward after losing two loved ones within one week, Jamie’s world was closing in…until she grabs an unexpected lifeline and escapes. Knowing only New York City, Montana is another world and she is unprepared by how the land, the people and even the animals touch her.

After risking her life to save a child, Jamie shares an undeniable bond and the beginning ripples of deep emotions with her co-rescuer, Kevin. However, her past follows her to Montana and threatens all that she loves there.

Jamie has no choice but to hurt Kevin in order to save his life and returns to New York with her ex, Derrick. Broken, Kevin refuses to believe she doesn’t love him and searches for Jamie, only to find her in Derrick’s lair. Once again Jamie tries to protect Kevin but this time gets caught in the cross fire…

On Sale in Digital: January 20, 2016

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH A GIVEAWAY!

Excerpt

Jamie had amazed herself at her reaction when she saw Kevin. It was like she was watching herself on a TV screen with no controls. I must be drunk on this fresh air. Pleasantly surprised at Kevin’s rugged good looks, she tried to deny the raw sensual tremors he set off and helped him unpack the truck. He was tall and muscular with sand-colored hair, deep blue, kind eyes, and a small cleft in his chin. Don’t even think about it. The last thing I need is to get involved again.

“We need to pick a spot and set up our tents,” he informed her as they trekked toward camp. Many of the choice areas were already taken so Kevin continued to search for patches of level ground for the tents. Common areas with picnic tables, fire pits, and tents were scattered everywhere. They hiked a little farther, toward the outskirts of the tent city.

He put the gear down and explained how he needed to closely scrutinize the ground for rocks, large sticks, and other natural decorations that could cause the body sore spots by morning.

As he pulled one tent out of its pack sack, Jamie instinctively began to help, but her inexperience was obvious.

“I don’t know what to do, but I’m teachable.”

Kevin laughed. “Here, let me show you. It’s pretty simple. Even a city girl can do it.”

“Who? Me? What makes you think I’m a city girl?” Wide-eyed, she pointed to herself.

“Maybe the fact that you’ve lived in New York City all your life?”

“You’ve got a point there. But like I said, I’m teachable.” They bantered back and forth as they erected the first tent. “Okay.” Kevin stood back and admired their success.

“One down. This’ll be yours. Now I’ve got to find a spot for mine.” Eyes focused, surveying the ground, he walked away from her tent.

“Where are you going? Where’s your tent going to be?” The concern was obvious in her voice and he turned to look at her.

“I don’t know. What’s wrong?” His eyes searched hers.

“Like you said, I’m a city girl and I’m not used to sleeping out in the woods. How far away are you going to be?”

He laughed. “With all these tents, you don’t have to worry about animals if that’s your concern.” His face softened as he asked, “Would it make you feel better if I stayed close by?”

Relief flooded through her. “Yes.”

And with that, Kevin chuckled and pitched his tent nearby. They made a return trip to the truck for the remainder of the gear. As they unloaded their bags at the tents, Ben and Tommy came walking up.

“Hey, dinner’s ready. You guys going to eat?” Ben asked.

Author Bio:

The summer after high school graduation, Roni worked two jobs to pay for nursing school. During the midnight shift as a waitress, a charismatic young man at the counter flirted with her for hours as he consumed seven cups of coffee. Their first date was eventful enough to be a book itself! Thirty-seven years and two kids later, the love story continues. Just like her novels, life can’t be too simple and you must make it an adventurous ride!

Her favorite place to write is in her hammock at their small Michigan cottage where she literally dodges the feeding hummingbirds while being serenaded by the lake’s loons. Besides writing, she loves Slow Rollin’ in Detroit and the combination of good food, better wine, and dear friends.

DESRCIPTION:

Sara Grey is done hiding and done being afraid. The Master thinks he has her running scared, but she’s taking matters into her own hands and taking her life back. With the help of her friends, she sets out to find the one person who can answer her questions about her past, and who may be able to lead them to the Master.

On her journey, Sara faces new challenges and dangers, and learns that the world of good and evil is not as clear cut as she had believed. She makes new friends, unexpected allies, and reconnects with people from her past. As her powers continue to change and grow, she transforms from a struggling girl into a strong young warrior.

But at what cost? How much is Sara willing to sacrifice in her need for independence and her quest for the truth? And will her newfound strength be enough to save her and the people she loves when she finally comes face-to-face with her powerful nemesis? Nothing could have prepared her for what is to come, and it will take everything in her to survive the final test of courage and love.

REVIEW:

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I LOVED the first two book in this series. It is a trilogy so this was the last one. This one was a bit of a disappointment. The ending and climax I was happy with, the beginning was done well, the middle not so much.

There just wasn’t much that happened in the middle. It seemed like 70% of the book was her training. There was so much focus on her learning and training. It would have been great if there was going to be more books. There is not. There may be a spinoff, but that’s it. I was happy it was going to be a trilogy till I actually read the book. This is the end.

Since it is the last one I think her training should have have taken up so much time. It really just felt like a majority of the book.

I was also looking forward to Sara and Nikolas doing something normal with the meet the parents thing. Didn’t happen.

The ending also came up very quickly. I was reading and realizing it was almost at the end and we still hadn’t gotten far then BOOM here is an ending! There wasn’t buildup to the finale unlike the last two books. I loved the beginning of this book and the end, but not the middle. It seemed like a huge break was taken in the middle and then as an afterthought, here is the ending you have been waiting for.

The ending was great. I liked what Karen Lynch did with the master. I am dying to read Nikolas POV for that final scene though because you aren’t clear what happens there.

Overall I do love this series, this is just my least favorite book. The pace of the first two books and the beginning of this one all matched. Then the middle of this book happened and we slowed way down on pacing and as a reader I felt that interruption. That interruption was picked up again in the very end, but it does happen.

Overall 3.5 stars. Still one of my favorite series, but this did kill my excitement a bit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Lynch grew up in Newfoundland, Canada – a place rich in colorful people and folklore to which she attributes her love of the supernatural and her vivid imagination. She moved to Charlotte, North Carolina years ago and was immediately charmed by the southern people but she says she will always be a newfie.

Though she loves supernatural fiction, she has a soft spot for Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austin. She is a fan of classic rock, country and classical music but her favorite music is the sound of a good thunderstorm or a howling blizzard. Two of her favorite past times are baking artisan breads for her friends and spending quality time with her two German Shepherds.

A voracious reader, she fell in love with books and writing at an early age and it grew into a lifelong passion. Relentless is her first published work and she hopes it is the first of many.

Things are about to get rocky for Dean Wentworth and Willow Wade.Willow Wade is used to living in the spotlight, with her father a famous drummer in the band Willow Creek—her namesake—it’s been a lot to live up to and oftentimes she doesn’t feel she’s enough. But there has always been one person she could turn to.

Dean Wentworth knows a thing or two about how crippling a name can be. His family is worth billions after all. But Dean’s always been content to do his own thing. Play his guitar. Work on cars. And geek out to his various “nerdoms”.

But when Willow turns up unexpectedly, he realizes maybe there is more in life he wants.

That was a horrible thing to say about my so-called ‘friends’—and I used the word friends loosely, because true friends wouldn’t ditch you the day of your scheduled road trip because they’d rather be sunbathing in the Hamptons.

The fucking Hamptons.

Ew.

I mean, how clichéd could you get.

This was why I hated rich people.

It also sucked that I was one of those rich people.

Well, I wasn’t, but my dad was.

So by extension so was I.

When you grew up with a rock star for a dad, cameras and eyes followed you everywhere. It was exhausting.

I couldn’t just be Willow.

I was Willow Wade.

The daughter of the famous drummer Maddox Wade.

People expected greatness from me.I just wanted to graduate college without slitting my wrists.

Author Bio

Micalea Smeltzer is a bestselling Young and New Adult author from Winchester, Virginia.
She’s always working on her next book, and when she has spare time she loves to read and spend time with her family.

Life in the gutter of New Orleans isn’t pretty.Baby Jade makes ends meet as a stripper in a seedy club, working for less than she deserves for an unscrupulous slime ball. No father. No mother. No other option but to take care of herself the only way she knows how.

Lucky is a drifting hard-ass with a backstory no one has been able to crack. Turning his back on the wealth and class of his upbringing, he has spent years on the road in an effort to find himself.

REVIEW:

I was really excited to read this book. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I think that the concept is really interesting, but the story just fell flat for me. This book is not very long and the ending just stops the book in its tracks. You know there will be more to come. It just wasn’t as clean of an ending even when you know there will be a sequel as I like. The club owner really bothered me. He would be a complete jerk and then really nice. Then a complete jerk again, then really nice again. It would go back and forth. He should have either been given one nice moment, been an jerk the entire time or be nice the whole time. It was giving me whiplash. The attraction between the two didn’t make a lot of sense. There didn’t seem to be a climax.

I didn’t get the relationship between the main character and her mom at all. It was the more annoying parts of the book. I am assuming that it is going somewhere, but as of now I don’t know where and didn’t like it.

There were some things I did like. I liked that the lifestyle of the main character seemed realistic. There was a lot of discussion about drugs which I admired the writer for putting so much of that conversation into her book. Addiction is a serious issue and there was a understanding of it in this book.

Author Bio

Kimmie is a Swoon Romance author who grew up traveling the country, rarely settling in one place for much longer than a minute. Being no stranger to heartache, she allows her unconventional childhood to fuel her writing. Kimmie is addicted to all things books, wine, cupcakes, and flip flops. She is a homeschool momma, southern wife, and pug wrangler. Kimmie can be found somewhere in the south writing wine worthy stories.

Paris and Weaver’s story will out soon in this third installment of the Broken but…Mending series.

Can be read as a standalone.

Here is an exclusive excerpt from Scales:

He tried to understand the questions in front of him, but he had to ponder the concept. He wasn’t about dreams. He was all about goals. Dreams were nebulous. Airy and light. Weightless. Euphemism for useless. He was a planner. A-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-and-walk toward a specific end point kind of person. Not for the joy of the walk but because he was going to get somewhere specific. He was all about specifics. That he was here in this damn class said he was doing one of the steps that he needed to do to get on with his life.

Another check box was being marked off. Good. He wasn’t into therapy, not his own at any rate. At least not now. No, he couldn’t really say for sure why he was here except because of Jenna herself. He’d heard about Jenna’s classes and had even attended several of her evening lectures. But he didn’t need her class. He’d said as much to her. That’s when she’d smiled that really witchy smile, her eyes glowing with laugher, and she’d challenged him to attend. To show that he’d taken care of his stuff. That there wasn’t anything else she could show him.

He’d snickered. “Hell,” he’d said, “of course I could do it, but I don’t need to. I wouldn’t pay good money for something like this.”

She’d laughed and said, “If you think you’re immune, then write up a paper on it. If it’s any good, I’ll help you get it published. If you find out you’re not immune, we’ll revisit the subject of the report at the end.”

Now that appealed. His portfolio was missing published articles – particularly in peer reviewed journals. He didn’t know if having a shrink’s name on his paper or her help in getting a paper published would count for much, but it was on his bucket list. And damn it, that bucket list was important.

So he’d accepted the challenge. He was here.

So no, he hadn’t been tricked into attending, but… it almost felt like it. Or maybe it was that he felt played… and had taken the bait. He was where she wanted him to be.

But why?

To observe? To write his insights? There was lots of fodder here. Some of these people needed serious help.

He shook his head and scratched the word dreams out and replaced it with the word goals. When he was done, he realized the odd sound in the background was the sound of paper ripping. He snuck a glance over at Paris to see her trying to rip out the answer she’d tried to rub out first. She was seriously determined to not let anyone see that answer. As he studied her, he realized that she’d actually ripped off the strip of paper and had rolled it up into a tiny ball.

Fascinated, he watched her struggle to find a place to hide the tiny item. He couldn’t take his eyes off it. What the hell had she written that she wanted erased so badly?

His gaze swung back to the paper and realized she’d left the other part of the paper attached. Just a long strip missing out of the bottom half. She lifted her gaze to his face. Her cheeks flared with bright color and she slammed her hand over the same hand that held the tiny ball of paper. The ball flew from her fingers, bounced on the table, and rolled toward him.

He couldn’t help it. He wanted to know what it said. Just as he reached for the paper, she snatched it up and he followed the trail of the fingers to her mouth. She popped the tiny thing into her mouth… and damn if she didn’t swallow it.

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Check out the first two books in the series!

Author Bio:

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).

She honors the stories that come to her – and some of them are crazy, break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

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Check out this novel from one of my favorite authors, Pepper Winters! Read ANYTHING by her, you will love it!

Description:

“We met in a nightmare. The in-between world where time had no power over reason. We fell in love. We fell hard. But then we woke up. And it was over . . .”

RUIN & RULE

She is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she’s lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy . . .

He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.

Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance-and finally find redemption?

Review:

I love Pepper Winters. She always does a good job. This one wasn’t as good as some of the other books by here that I have read, but still enjoyable.

The guy is very intense and I loved that he is crazy smart. There were a lot of expected surprises and it ended on a horrible horrible cliffhanger.

The fact that it took forever for her to get her memory back got a little annoying. It was to be expected, but still got annoying. There was depth to this book that I was not expecting and also several surprises. It was not your typical MC book so if that is what you are looking for you won’t find it. There is a MC, but a lot more is going on and unlike other MC books.

About this author

Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA Today International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She’s also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestsellers, best BDSM series voted by the SmutClub, and recently signed a two book deal with Grand Central. Her books are currently being translated into numerous languages and will be in bookstores in the near future.

Can there be redemption for a man with a tortured soul and a twisted heart?

Harrison: Hell bent on revenge, anger and hatred taint my soul.

Only rage and vengeance keep me alive. Nothing else matters.

There is no room for love. No room for relationships or a family of my own to distract me.

I’m damaged and beyond redemption.Until I meet my arch enemy’s sister. She’s off limits, but despite my best intentions, I just can’t get the dark haired beauty out of my mind.

Can Eva tame the beast and make me human again? Can she help me find redemption?

Perhaps HELL is the only place for a man like me.Eva:

Harrison. Dark. Broody.

Twisted and tortured. Definitely tormented.

A beast?Maybe he is, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting him. On some deep level we connect—I see past the damaged outer into his very soul. Can I be the one to crack through his hardened shell and thaw his heart to bring out the real man he’s hiding even from himself?

Both our work schedules had been crazy and even when I’d called Eva to just have dinner with me, she’d made excuses why she could not see me. As tempted as I was to show up at her door again, I didn’t want to upset her and risk her refusing to accompany me to the event, so I got stuck in at work putting in more time than I had in the last few weeks.

“Fuck, I missed you,” I said as it hit me like a bullet between the eyes.

Red lips and long sweeping eyelashes were complemented by dangling earrings that shone as the light caught them. I took her hand in mine and kissed her fingertips before spinning her around so that I could admire all of her.

I nearly choked when she turned her back to me. The dress dipped to just above her ass, the fabric draped in such a way that it begged to be touched.

“You like?” she purred, turning her head so that she could peer seductively at me from under her lashes.

“I’m speechless. You look . . . so utterly fuckable, I just want to tear that dress off you­ with my fucking teeth,” I admitted.

“Haha. It took me hours to get ready. We have an event to attend, remember?” She raised a perfect eyebrow at me, smiling smugly. “And you look pretty dashing yourself.” She stroked my chest, smoothing out my dress shirt. “Hmm, a bowtie. That’s sexy as hell.”

Her fingertips brushed the edges of the black silk and then along my jaw line, causing my blood pressure to rise a few degrees. She stood on her toes and planted the softest kiss on my lips. Her perfume snaked its way to my nostrils and turned my mind to mush.

I frowned, not sure how I felt about her wearing that dress. Jealousy swarmed my gut and found a resting place in the pit of my stomach. I swallowed hard, trying to rein it in and act maturely.

“I’m going to be the envy of every man there.” She smiled knowingly. Fuck. This was doing my head in. “I will kill any fucker who tries to touch you. You are mine only. Remember that.”

Author Bio

USA Today Bestselling Author – Jani Kay lives in Western Australia within a ten minute walk to the beach which is one of her favorite places to chill out.

She has been a bookworm all her life – as a voracious reader, she would gladly spend her last dollar on a book. She is always fascinated that for the mere price of a book (often less than the price of a coffee!), she can escape her life for a while and see through someone else’s eyes into their world.

Jani loves the colour red, is a fiery Aries, is impatient and always storming ahead with those ram’s horns, bashing her head…she has a wicked sense of humour and loves laughing.

In her ‘other’ life, Jani is a business woman and a scientist – a creative scientist though – she formulates skin care products and brews up concoctions in her laboratory…

She has 2 beautiful children who have grown into amazing young adults and Jani is very proud of them.

Besides reading and writing, her favorite ‘thing’ is traveling and drinking cocktails on the beach while watching the sun set over the ocean (Sex on The Beach anyone?).Above all, she believes in Kindness, Karma, Miracles and Magic…

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So I have been devouring anything by Kristen Ashley and she has a new release in her CHAOS MC series on Oct. 27! Check it out below and if you need a new author to read check out any of her books!

Description

The flame never dies . . .

Millie Cross knows what it’s like to burn for someone. She was young and wild and he was fierce and even wilder-a Chaos biker who made her heart pound. They fell in love at first sight and life was good, until she learned she couldn’t be the woman he needed and made it so he had no choice but to walk away. Twenty years later, Millie’s chance run-in with her old flame sparks a desire she just can’t ignore. And this time, she won’t let him ride off . . .

Bad boy Logan “High” Judd has seen his share of troubles with the law. Yet it was a beautiful woman who broke him. After ending a loveless marriage, High is shocked when his true love walks back into his life. Millie is still gorgeous, but she’s just a ghost of her former self. High’s intrigued at the change, but her betrayal cut him deep-and he doesn’t want to get burned again. As High sinks into meting out vengeance for Millie’s betrayal, he’ll break all over again when he realizes just how Millie walked through fire for her man . . .

About this Author

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

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Join the Resistance!

The first book in a new historical romance series, A REBEL IN JERICHO, is a suspenseful Wild West adventure with an abduction, border battles and Mexican saloons! Check out this novel from debut author Mimi Milan where two people learn that love, courage and faith are all they need to face the trials of the West.

After years of preparing for marriage, Catalina Santé is interested in little more than making a good match. And why not? She’s young, beautiful, educated… everything a wealthy man should want. However, a tragic accident will leave her with less than a marriage proposal—she’s fighting for her very life!

Matthew Martin spends most of his time just trying to fit into American society. It’s one of the reasons he became a deputy. Willing to risk it all in order to protect Catalina, he can’t imagine what that entails… until she’s abducted and sold to a Mexican saloon, where a border battle rages between two towns.

Can love and faith survive in such a harsh place? Will Matthew even be able to save Catalina?

Excerpt:

“A penny for your thoughts?” Catalina regretted asking almost as soon as the words were out. The less she knew about him, the better. Right?

Continuing to lean against the side, Matthew gave her a once-over.

He decided to have a little fun with her.

“Only a penny? Is that what people are charging nowadays? Not me. My thoughts are worth a whole nickel.” The laughter in his tone danced in his playful eyes, their brilliance shining like blue gems. A slow, infectious grin spread across Matthew’s face. He looked like a mischievous little boy who was trying to buy his way out of trouble after being caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Catalina bit her lip in a desperate attempt to remain serious, but it was of little use.

Charmed by her softened features, Matthew took a slow step towards her. He raised a tentative hand and pushed back a curl that had worked its way loose.

Catalina’s breath stilled as the light touch of his fingers slowly trailed along her cheek. Her beautiful eyes and full mouth were almost irresistible, and he wondered if she tasted as sweet as she looked.

Unasked questions blazed from his eyes, making the cage that she was trying to construct around her heart unhinge. The sudden attraction hit her hard. She forced herself to look away and break the spell. Falling for her escort was not part of the plan.

“Look!” Catalina pointed towards the bank. “We’re just about there.”

“Then I guess we best get back to the car.” Disappointment laced his words. She didn’t have any romantic notions about him, so he best leave it at just friends.

No more goo-goo eyes.

“It shouldn’t take too long to get it started.” He picked up the conversation again as he paced back to the car with a determined step. “It’s warm out. So she doesn’t need to be cranked or anything.”

Catalina questioned his sudden change in mood. She was grateful at the flow of normal conversation between them. Still, it felt like something was suddenly missing. “Well, I suppose that’s a good thing.” She plodded along behind him, dissatisfied when they reached the Model T.

He took her hand and helped her up and into the front seat. “Shouldn’t I ride in the—”

“You’ll get a better view of things while we’re driving from up here.” He cut her off, patting the hood of the car for emphasis – a friendly grin that promised an exciting ride. After all, it was a long trip to Nogales. “Besides, it’ll be more fun.”

Mimi Milan spent two decades scribbling away in notebooks before realizing that her life’s calling was to write. So she returned from Mexico and attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Film. She currently resides in the suburbs of Charlotte, making time for God, family and imaginary friends.